(This is a BL)
To save his father's life and prove his worth Fa Ping takes his father's place and joins the army. This was a choice that would bring many difficulties and perhaps, even death.
Fa Ping expected that, but what he didn't expect was to...
The trek to Rin village had been stressful. For Ping. When he wasn't shrugging off smiles from Fuu, glances from Shang or a grin from Mushu, Ling and Yao were always there.
"So Ping," Ling hung one lanky arm around the shorter male's shoulders as Yao walked on his left, "tell us about this Fuu guy. He a friend of yours?"
Ping held back a sigh. "You…could say that. He lived in my village for a while before moving on with his nomadic parents. We did have some fun times together as kids." And we kissed, but no-one really needs to know that.
Yao grunted. "He looks like a cocky one to me. And what's with those eyes?"
"Maybe he's a changeling."
Ping picked up his ears. "A what?"
Ling turned serious. "A changeling. I've heard tales that when the Huns invaded the north, they would leave children and mothers with no home or husband. And so, the widows would take their children to a protected village and steal another woman's child, replacing it with her own infant and taking the wife's child with them. The children that were given a new home were called changelings, and had green eyes and were able to talk with animals and spirits."
Ping snorted and shrugged off Ling's arm. "That's the most ridiculous thing I've heard yet. Changelings aren't real things. Besides, his foster parents never had a child. Though they did find Fuu in a deserted town up north."
"Maybe it's witchcraft."
"Maybe his parents had green eyes." Ping argued in a mocking voice.
Ling raised his hands peacefully. "All I'm saying is, he looks funny with those eyes and that hair."
Ping narrowed his eyes. "Maybe you shouldn't worry about how a man looks and instead focus on how he acts."
He quickened his pace and gained a distance from the trio, feeling irritated. So what if Fuu looked different? So he didn't have straight hair and brown eyes like most did. Ping only knew Fuu for a handful of time, but he had learned enough about him to know that he was, at heart, a wholesome, selfless person, if a bit too carefree at times.
"I know what this is really about," an inhuman whisper sounded in his ear and he stiffened.
"What do you want, Mushu?"
"You see yourself in him. You two are the same."
Ping tried to get a glimpse of the tiny dragon hiding in his armor but found that it would look strange if he were to start conversing with his shoulder. "What do you mean?"
"Think about it, Pingy. He's probably gotten as much strife for those eyes and hair as you have for your…well, less-than-manly attributes." Ping could hear Mushu sharpening his claws. "He might prove to be your best ally when you need someone to watch your back."
"Maybe," Ping muttered, craning his neck to get a faraway look at Fuu riding next to Shang on his spotted horse. "But Shang is—"
"Shang," Mushu interrupted, "is your captain, a noble blood, and a high-standing citizen. You really believe that the two of you could have a future together?" Mushu ignored Ping's bashful sputtering and stormed on. "What do you think is going to happen, hm? That when, and if, the two of you make it out of the war, you'll meet up in his chambers and spend your days together?
"Let me lay it out for you, Ping. Saying that you both survive, he will go on to work for the emperor's army, marry a chosen women and settle down with a family. You will return home and pine about what could have been as you help your mother in the marketplace, eventually get pressured into marrying a girl of your standing, and forced into having kids.
"There's no good ending to this ridiculous little affair. You should end it before you lose yourself."
So saying, Ping felt him slither out of his clothes and sneak back into the carriage.
Ping suddenly felt very cold, and he didn't think it was the altitude.
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